Is anyone else having XP do some sort of update during shutdown? It gives you the choice of shutting down without updating or of updating during shutdown. It then delays shutdown while I can hear lots of disc activity and the screen alternates back and forth between "Installing update 1 of 1" and "Do not turn off or unplug your computer until shutdown is complete" or something like that. I've never seen it do that, and wanted to make sure it was an automatic update other people with XP are getting and not some malware.

This is a common occurence when you have Windows set to automatically download updates but allow you to choose when to install the updates.

You should see the yellow shield with a '!' mark in your taskbar, indicating that updates have been downloaded but not installed. Shutting your system down triggers the request to install. Accept this and Windows starts shutting down, installs the updates and finally closes - in my experience you can just walk away and let it get on with it.

It usually happens on (or soon after) 'Patch Tuesday' - the second Tuesday in the month when MS issues the main set ou updates for that month.

I prefer to update when I am actually using the computer, but for those times when I realise I'm late for work and don't have time it can be a blessing!

So yes, it's perfectly normal.

Thanks! I hadn't noticed the yellow icon, so my suspicions were aroused. Now I have to find out what it installed, since it didn't give me the option of choosing. It's been wanting to install IE 7 forever, but the only thing I use IE for is a site I have to interact with for business that won't work under IE 7, so I hope it wasn't that.

No prob! There are several people at work who ask this. Every month.

Go to Start, Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs. Check the box by 'Show Updates' at the top of the window. Scroll down to see the updates along with the date installed.

Click (once) on an update that was installed on the day in question, click the 'Click here for support information' link, then click the link by 'Support Information' in the window that pops up. This will open a browser window on the relevant MS page.